Separated and Alone
by Dr. Michaela Quinn
Summary: Fired from Wallace and McQuade, Angela has to relieve Tony of his services, giving him no choice but to return to Brooklyn and Mrs. Rossini. Will the two ever be able to work together again?


**A/N: The part in **_**italics **_**is from the episode "Angela Gets Fired Part 2"**

_Tony and Angela were sitting at the kitchen table. She was crying and he dabbed her eyes with a towel._

_"Thank you Tony." Angela sobbed._

_"A good cry always helps."_

_"So does a good shoulder."_

_"I've got another one if you need it."_

_"No," she blew her nose loudly several times, "oh I'm so embarrassed."_

_"Don't be, my nose runs when I cry too."_

_"No, I mean I'm not the kind of person who does this sort of thing in front of other people."_

_"Oh ay, I'm not other people. I'm Tony."_

_"I'm lucky."_

_"Hey look, I know this is a tough time, so I've got an idea. Don't pay me, at least for a while." Angela looked at him with tears glistening in her eyes._

"Tony, I can't do that. You can't work and not get paid."

"Then what are you going to do?" He asked. She looked at her hands on the table because she couldn't bear to look at Tony.

"I'm sorry Tony?"

"What?" He asked.

"I need you to go. I can't pay you and I won't let you work without it." She stated.

"You pay for food and you've put a roof over Samantha's head. That's more than enough." He replied.

"Not for me." Tony stood up.

"I'll go tell Sam we're going back to Brooklyn." Angela turned in her chair without standing up.

"You can't go back to New York. You left so Samantha could have a better life."

"I don't know where else to go." With that, he walked out of the room and Angela slumped in her chair.

* * *

"You did what?" Mona exclaimed and Angela sighed. Mona had come to the house after work.

"I can't keep him on as our housekeeper without paying him."

"He's the best thing that has ever happened to Jonathan! Or you." She smiled.

"Jonathan needs a male role model, but I can't keep him here without some form of payment." Angela sighed. "If I get another job, we'll bring him back."

'Where's he going to go?" Angela sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"They are going back to Brooklyn." Mona's eyes grew wide.

"What?"

"That's what he said. I told him he didn't have to leave Connecticut."

"So not only are we losing Tony, but we're losing Samantha as well."

"I don't like this anymore than you do Mother," Angela started, "but sometimes we have to do things we don't like to. It's called the adult world." Mona sighed.

"Forget about the adult world for a minute and think about the children Angela."

* * *

Tony was on the phone in the living room.

"Oh Tony, I'm sorry you lost your job. But I told you you'd miss the city." Tony shook his head.

"Mrs. Rossini, can Sam stay with you for a little while or not?" Sam walked down the stairs without Tony seeing her. She sat on the bottom step.

"Of course. I'd love to have you and Samantha with me."

"Thank. We'll be coming soon." Tony looked around the living room. "I'll miss this house. Bye Mrs. Rossini."

"Bye Tony." When he hung up the phone, Samantha stood up.

"Why are we staying with Mrs. Rossini?"

"Oh Sam, I didn't see you there." He said and she put a hand on her hip.

"What's going on dad?" Tony sighed. This was definitely not a conversation he wanted to have, and actually had been something he was trying to avoid.

"Sam, I love you; and you know Angela loves you too-" Tony started. Samantha tapped her toe like she was starting to get impatient.

"I know that, but what's the point?"

"We don't live here anymore. Angela couldn't afford to pay me and she doesn't want us being here for free, so I have to go back and work for Mrs. Rossini for a while. I'm not sure how long it will take-" he tried to say, but she was already getting upset before he could say anymore.

"We have to go back to Brooklyn?" She exclaimed. "I can't go back to Brooklyn! I like it here dad, I have friends here!" Tony shook his head.

"I'm sorry honey, but things don't always work out the way we'd like them too."

"I'm not going back to Brooklyn."

"Well you can't stay with Angela." Tony replied. "So unless you found a full time job and kept it from me, you're going to Brooklyn." Samantha scoffed.

"Why can't we stay here? Didn't you tell Angela that she does more than enough for us?" Tony nodded at Samantha's question.

"I did tell her, but sometimes people think differently than us. We'll be back. I promise as soon as I can afford to live on our own we'll be in Fairfield."

"I don't want to go." Samantha exclaimed.

"I don't want you to have to go Sam, but that's how things work sometimes. We need to get you a suitcase packed. You are leaving tonight. I'll figure out how to get all of our stuff there and I'll be coming tomorrow." Samantha stomped up the stairs. Tony didn't want to have to leave. He loved Jonathan, Mona, and even Angela a great deal; but this would be the time for her to figure out what was going on. He had been her housekeeper for two years, but that was all if they needed to part ways. Neither were fully invested, it wasn't a dating relationship; it had always been a work relationship only. Tony stopped thinking, but if that were true, why was it hurting him so bad to go?

_**A/N: I want to thank my supporters- Dimples73, Sand N' Sable, Imaginer.012, Stayathomemum,Tangela13, GoldenGirlSherry, kirsty2765 and No-Rhyme-Just-Reason for their constant support. Without them, I probably would have quit writing a long time ago. Thank you all! Love ya guys! :) **_


End file.
